Raging Bull

1980.

#24 / #4

Winner of 2 Academy Awards

Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) works his way toward the welterweight title, while leading his life down a self-destructive path.

Eddie: I had never seen this movie before, and I think it stands out as Martin Scorcese's best. If I were teaching a class on the New Hollywood directors, then I would probably show this movie on the first day. It's such a departure from a typical American film, yet it manages to tell a wholly American story. What is RAGING BULL about? I asked the same question about SPARTACUS, but where SPARTACUS fails to deliver on its epic promises, RAGING BULL never becomes self-indulgent. Whenever the scope of the movie starts to slip out of control, Scorcese and De Niro bring it back. It is - from start to finish - a movie about Jake LaMotta. There's no confusion there.

De Niro's performance is damn near perfect. His ferocity is intimidating. While watching RAGING BULL, I couldn't help think of his performance in GODFATHER II. Taken together, the two flicks show De Niro's expansive range. To go from playing the quiet, methodical Vito Corleone to the temperamental, explosive Jake LaMotta; De Niro shows that he is a baller of the highest order!

Sarah: Eddie, I hope RAGING BULL is not an American story. A story about a guy who continues to be an asshole until he drives his family away, to live as a lonely asshole. Yes, American. I know you may not be able to tell by my subtle nuanced writing style, but story-wise, this was not my movie. But I can appreciate the picture's strengths. The performances are strong and I think Scorcese's camera moves are engaging and interesting. And even though I don't find the story fulfilling, I admire it's self-awareness. Jake LaMotta is not supposed to seek redemption. That thought would never occur to him. His brutality is his success and his failure.

This is where the AFI list gets tricky. What should be on the list? Shouldn't the list not only show a diversity of film-makers but also diversity in the American experience? The story of brute power and its failing already is a common theme on the list. How many boxers do we need on the list?

Why You Should See It: The final scene, where an old, fat Jake rehearses the "Contender speech" from ON THE WATERFRONT. It's poignant and touching, despite the ice cold reading of the lines.